10 Most Shocking NJPW Upsets

9. Kazuchika Okada Vs. Tetsuya Naito - Wrestle Kingdom 12

Okada Naito
NJPW 1972

New Japan fans will debate the wisdom of this result forever - particularly as Tetsuya Naito fades, ever so slightly, from his zenith of white-hot popularity.

This is just how new Champions are crowned, isn't it?

The hottest, coolest star, having won the most arduous battlefield of contention in the form of the G1 Climax tournament, arrived on the biggest stage the company performed on. There, as his adoring public roared him on in their tens of thousands, decked out in the Los Ingobernables de Japan t-shirts NJPW couldn't print enough of, he was set to formalise his status as the 'Shuyaku' of New Japan.

Gedo didn't elect to crown a new Champion on January 4, 2018 - but rather a Godlike entity in his grand narrative tapestry.

Okada, wearing flared trousers in a fit of impossible arrogance, his Icarus moment, surely, withstood Naito's sadistic offence. He suffered blow upon blow to the face in the bout's unforgettable visual, one of sheer persistence eroding the myth before our eyes. Incredibly, shockingly, he overcame, stunning the Dome into silence.

This didn't elevate Naito - but it did elevate the already unsurpassed prestige of Okada and his record reign with the IWGP Title. When he eventually relinquished it, to Kenny Omega at Dominion, it resonated as nothing less than the biggest triumph in company history.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!